Create the Universe
by StealMyShow
Summary: Snow White is engaged to a prince from another kingdom and couldn't be happier with him. Then she goes to the orchard to pick apples, and that's when she meets someone else. Still writing.
1. The Orchard

_"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."_

_~Carl Sagan_

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Snow White's POV:

The apple orchard. The one place where I can escape the wrath of the evil queen. It is located exactly between our kingdom and the neighboring kingdom, but they often have visitors, especially travelers who pass through or messengers going to and from either of the kingdoms.

People use it as sort of a refuge; there is this unspoken rule that no one can fight or argue at all while on the premises of the orchard. The owners are an old man and woman who had been married for forty-three years and disapprove of the war between the kingdoms. To try to prevent the war from going on any longer, they decided to let anyone on to pick apples (as long as they paid for them), no matter what kingdom they are from. Although the kingdoms have been enemies since they were built, no disagreeing ever happens on the orchard, allowing the couple to live peacefully, just how they like it.

The Queen only lets me go once a month, but I make the most of each opportunity. I use the spare change that I find around the castle to buy apples at the orchard. Sure, I only have enough money for a few apples, but I need all the time away from her that I can get.

I'm engaged to the Prince. It was set up by his family, but I can't complain. He's so wonderful and charming and handsome. He's from a far-off kingdom, but it must not be too far because he visits all the time. I'm not allowed to visit him, so I want him to visit as often as he can. As great as these times might be, I still have to be near the castle where the Queen can observe me. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. No one should be watched at all times, even if I know the person who's observing. It's horrid and infuriating. When I'm in the castle, she has to know where I am at all times. When I'm outside the castle, she knows where I am and watches me through the window.

That's why I like the orchard so much. Even though I'm not with the Prince, and even though she knows exactly where I am, it's the only time when I'm completely away from the Queen and her watchful eyes.

I walk into the orchard, holding an empty basket in one hand and a few coins in the other, ready to pick some apples. I guess that I have enough money to buy six apples. That's two more than last month.

Before I start walking around, I take in everything around me. The fresh, rich smell of nature hits me first. I can smell the soil, the trees, and the apples. A big smile comes over my face. I've waited for this day for four and a half weeks, and it was finally here.

I wander between the first two rows, casually inspecting the trees to look for large, bright red, ripe apples that stand out. I see one and pick it, placing it in my basket. I can get five more, but I won't leave until I absolutely have to, even if I get all six apples in the first one or two minutes.

I find another large apple at the end of the first row, so I turn to go to the next. That's when I see him. I first see the back of his head, pure blonde hair perfectly brushed back. He's tall, lean, and fit. Then he turns to look at me.

We make eye contact for the briefest moment before I look away. In that short instant, I notice his eyes. Oh, his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that I could get lost in for hours if I only knew who he was. They are blue, green, hazel, and brown all at the same time. They are a deep blue ocean, a sea green wave, beautiful like the night sky (or afternoon sky, for that matter). When the brown is showing, even if it looks like a mud pit, it would still be the most inviting mud pit my own eyes have ever seen. In that short instant before I embarrassingly turned away, all I notice are his eyes.

I try to stay interested in the trees to my left, but I think he noticed my interest in him.

I hear him walking toward me, and I panic inside. Is he wanting to talk to me, or does he just want to walk to the next row of the orchard? I can't stand not knowing, even if it is only for a few seconds.

I try to hide my hands from shaking by holding a random apple and trying to pull it off. It's half-rotten already, but I don't care. I just have to make sure that the mystery guy doesn't notice how nervous I really am. In my mind, as he gets nearer and nearer, I make a mental promise in my head to introduce myself to him if he passes me instead of walks up to me. His footsteps get closer and closer, and, just as I wish, he stops next to me.

"Excuse me, miss," he says, his voice as pleasant, smooth, and charismatic as I imagined it, "but that's a rotten apple there. You might want to pick a different one."

I try to suppress a giggle rising in my throat, but it escapes against my will. "I guess I just don't know much about apples."

"Well, you have two very good ones in your basket, so I'm not quite sure that you aren't good at picking apples."

"Oh, silly me." I'm so nervous to be around him. I've never felt like this about another man-even the Prince, to whom I'm engaged-so he's making me sound more stupid and vain and conceited than I actually am.

"I never caught your name," he says to me, reaching out his hand.

"Snow White, but you can call me Snow if you'd like," I reply, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Snow. My name's Draco."

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**Thanks for reading! The next chapter should come in about a week or two. I hope you like it so far! :D**


	2. Time Well Spent

Draco's POV:

Snow tosses the rotten apple to the ground, but I'm not paying attention to that at all. I just can't stop looking at her face.

Her skin is the same as mine, pale white, except in a more pure sort of way, not looking deprived or unhealthy. It was the perfect skin shade. Her hair is pitch black, a startlingly beautiful contrast. As we continued to make introductory small talk, I couldn't stop staring at her eyes. They are creamy brown, like a delicious chocolate that looks too beautiful to eat. I can tell that she is comfortable in this orchard, but this is the first time I've ever been here.

I feel so underdressed. I'm wearing jeans and a striped shirt that I got from a muggle store to blend in. She is wearing a beautiful ball gown. It has short, slightly puffed sleeves, blue with red stripes. It has a large white collar, adding further contrast to her beautifully dark hair. The torso part of her dress is blue with a thin gold line down the middle. The skirt, on the other hand, is gold and flowing. Although it is absolutely gorgeous on her, I can't begin to imagine why someone would wear this to an apple orchard, of all places. She must be royalty. We _are_ near several kingdoms, after all.

I shake the idea from my head. A princess would never go to a rural orchard like this. It just doesn't happen.

Her hands are shaking, but she is trying to hide it. I wonder why.

"So, Snow," I say, "how old are you?"

"Sixteen," she says. I'm often mistaken to be older than I am, so she probably thinks that I'm too old for her.

"I'm sixteen also," I say. She relaxes a bit and smiles. I can tell that she thought I was at least a few years older.

"So, what are you doing at the orchard?" she asks.

"We're passing through to visit some relatives for Christmas next week. My mom saw the orchard and couldn't resist stopping here."

"It's a beautiful place, though. I love coming here."

"Do you live nearby?"

"Yes just in that kingdom over there." She points to her left, and I can see the top of the castle over the trees and the hills in the distance. "What about you?"

"It's hard to explain. It's pretty far away." An awkward pause ensues. I break it by asking, "Are you in school right now?"

"I have a private tutor, so I don't actually go to school. What about you?"

"I'm the opposite. I go to a boarding school all year except for summer and winter, so I'm always at school."

She giggles. Her laugh is precious and perfect. It's such an innocent giggle. I wonder if she's seen anything bad in the world because the way she smiles suggests that her life has been perfectly comfortable up until now. Goodness knows that I have. I've seen You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters torture and kill people who betray them or just refuse to help in any way. I've been forced to make promises that I wish I didn't have to keep. I've seen horrors that people like her only have nightmares about. I desperately hope that her adorably beautiful, giggly laugh really reflects who she is. Either that, or she's good at acting, but from what I've seen so far, it seems that the latter is nearly impossible.

"So, where is this boarding school? What's the name of it?"

"You wouldn't have heard of it. It's too far away."

"Oh, I suppose you're right," she says. "I don't get out much, so the majority of what I know is what I hear people inside the castle talking about." She pauses for a moment. "Say, could I have the address of your school so I can write to you?"

"What if I write to you instead?" I ask, not wanting to give away Hogwarts and its magic to someone that I just met. "I have this special delivery system where I can just send it to you, and then you send it back the same way if you tell it to wait. It doesn't even cost anything." People don't usually believe me when I say that I send letters by owl, so I try to be as vague as possible as to not scare her off with weirdly possible animal communication.

"Sounds good!" She smiles a little, so I smile back. Then she smiles even bigger, the only completely full smile since I met her a few minutes ago. Her teeth are sparkling white, shining brighter than the stars. Her smile is beautiful, absolutely captivating. I smile bigger. We smile at each other for a few minutes. This must be what love feels like, being able to be with that person, do absolutely nothing, and still be happier than I thought humanly possible.

Snow White's POV:

We stare and smile at each other. His smile is perfect. His teeth are pearly white and perfectly straight. I hope I get to see him again soon. Certainly I can't visit him, but maybe he can visit the castle on the way back from his family's house. No, the Queen would never allow that. She barely allows my very own fiancé to visit.

My fiancé. I almost forgot about him. How can I marry him when I just met this other man that I think I might love? I can worry about that later. Right now I just want to think about Draco.

We make small talk and walk around for the next half hour or so, and I pick all the apples that I can afford. Then we head to the pay stand at the front of the orchard. I pull out my coins and give them to the lady at the stand. She double-checks to make sure that I have the right amount and hands me my change. I want to talk to Draco more before I leave but something interrupts me.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

The bell chime. It's three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Oh my gosh!" I cry.

"What is it?" Draco asks.

"It's three o'clock! I'm supposed to be back home by three! I'm late! Oh, I've never been late before in circumstances like these."

I start running off, but Draco grabs my arm instead.

"Wait!" he says frantically. "Where do you live exactly? I need to know where to send my letters."

"I live in the castle of that kingdom over there. Do you need the address?"

"No, that's all!"

I run off as fast as I can toward the castle, hoping that the Queen won't punish me for being too late. I start to see more and more of the castle as I get over the hill, and I dread my return.

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**Thanks for reading! I'll try to have the next chapter posted in about a week. I hope you like it!**


	3. Consequences

Draco's POV:

I stare at her as she runs into the distance, skirt flowing behind her. I see her sparkling gold flats peek out from under the skirt. Wow, she's gorgeous. I keep looking at her even after she disappears over the hilltop, not looking at anything in particular, just smiling and thinking about my time talking to her and the way she looks and how I can't wait to write to her and how much I want to see her again.

I've never been in love like this before. Pansy and I dated for one or two months, but that wasn't real. She became possessive and thought that it was a serious relationship. Ha! As if. I just wanted to have a girlfriend to appear more popular in front of my friends and first-year dweebs. She didn't seem to understand the whole concept of dating someone to look good. Snow, on the other hand, was flawless. In that whole hour or so of talking to her, I never once felt annoyed by her giggly laugh (which is adorable, by the way) or the fact that she seemed too innocent for a sixteen-year old, like a child with a teenager's intelligence. On other people, that could seem annoying, but on her, it wouldn't be the same if she were any other way.

I keep staring at the hilltop, thinking about her, and deep down, I almost wish that she'd come running back, but I know that that won't happen. After a few minutes, I hear my mother's voice behind me. "What are you looking at, Draco?" I cringe. That's another thing. I hate my name. Draco. No one should ever call me Draco. I feel insulted if they call me anything but Malfoy, but there's the exception. It seems insulting for Snow to call me anything but Draco. From the way she first looked at me, not being on a first name basis would be degrading.

"I was just staring off into space," I reply calmly, turning towards her.

"Well, we have to get going. They're expecting us around six, and it takes over three hours to get there from here. I was calling your name for the past ten minutes, but you must not have heard me."

"I guess not."

"Why are you standing over here? You don't have any money or apples, so you couldn't have bought anything."

"I was just wandering, I guess." I suddenly realize that I'm smiling like a lunatic, so I try to stop.

"Don't stop smiling. You have such a pretty smile," my mother says. I groan. "It's true," she continues. "You should smile more often." She brushes my hair with her hand.

"Mother, get off me!" I shoo her hand away, but I somehow start smiling again without realizing it.

"See, I told you!" she says. I try to be mad at her, but I can't get the smile to leave. "What are you happy about?"

"Oh, nothing." I try to change the subject. "Where's dad?"

"He's waiting by the car."

We couldn't apparate because I haven't learned yet, so driving was the best way to blend in with muggles.

My plan to distract her doesn't work. "No, seriously! Tell me what you're so happy about."

"I don't have any homework over Christmas break," I lie. When I told her I was dating Pansy, she demanded to meet her and her parents and wanted to know every single detail. If I tell her that I just met someone that I might end up being in love with, then who knows what she'll do.

"Well that's wonderful!" she says. "Now let's go to the car. Your father's waiting." She turns around, and as I follow her, I cringe thinking of the essays I have to write for defense against the dark arts and charms. I'll just tell her that it's for extra credit.

We walk out of the orchard and get in the front seat. My father, who is now slightly frustrated by the delay, is in the driver's seat. We drive away from the orchard, not saying a word to each other at first. This will be a long car ride.

Snow White's POV:

I run over the hill, scared of what the Queen will do to me for being so late. Sure, it's only about five minutes, but she's very strict. I have to be in the castle by the time the clock tower rings at three o'clock. There is no leniency in her schedule. I have specific chores to do at specific times, and she will have no funny business. It's a wonder that she lets me go to the orchard at all.

As I get over the top of the hill, I can see the entire castle on a steep cliff by the sea. As I get closer, I notice the Queen on a balcony, watching me with a cunning smile and evil in her eyes, tapping her fingers on the railing of the balcony. She's up to something. I can feel it.

I enter the front hall of the castle. I carefully set my basket of apples on the table. I hear loud footsteps. I slowly turn, and the Queen is right behind me. I gasp and jump back a bit, but the table hits me. I try not to look scared, but it's hard when someone as evil as the Queen is so close that a table is digging into your back. She puts her hands on the table, one arm on either side of me, completely trapping me in.

"What took you so long?" she asked, every word dripping with loathing and very articulated.

"I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." The Queen's words are a mockery of nice people, so falsely nice that it hurts, so cunningly friendly that I can tell that there are evil intentions and an alternate meaning behind what she is saying. She starts to turn away but abruptly spins back so that her face is less than half an inch away from mine, her eyes staring into the depths of my soul. "_Do not be late again! Do you hear me?_" she says loudly, breathing heavily on my face.

"I-"

"_I SAID, DO YOU HEAR ME?_"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Now run along. Go do whatever 'princesses' do." The Queen moves her arms back and takes a small step backwards, so I bolt as fast as I can, but before I get far enough away, she grabs my arm and leans in close. I get tense. Her nails dig into my upper arm. I clench my teeth to try to hide the pain from her. "Just one other thing." She moves even closer, so close that I can feel her breath inside my ear. She whispers in her most sinister voice, "_You may never go to the apple orchard again_."

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**I'll try to post the next chapter in about a week. Also, check out my other stories if you'd like.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :)**


	4. Seems Like Forever

Draco's POV:

The car ride seems like it'll never end. I'm sitting in the back, my father is driving, and my mother is being a "backseat driver," so to speak. She keeps telling him to turn at certain places, but he doesn't turn where she tells him because he says he knows a better way. It's always like this when we drive, but no other means of transportation would be as effective when trying to blend in with muggles.

I end up falling asleep for an hour and a half and wake up with my parents still bickering about how to get there. I yawn, stretch, lean forward, and tap my mom on the shoulder.

"Look, he's awake," she says to my father. "What is it, dear?" I hate when she calls me _dear_.

"How long until we're there?" I ask.

"About thirty minutes."

I lean back and close my eyes, trying to fall back asleep, but my parents keep me awake.

"Turn left at the next road."

"No, it's faster to go straight."

"No, it's not. I think I know how to get to my own sister's house."

"I've been there more than you."

"No, you haven't. It's _my_ sister after all."

"Okay, fine, that's true, but this is _my_ car, and I'm driving."

A short pause.

"You didn't turn left!"

"As I said earlier, it's faster to go straight!"

"You should let me drive."

"Last time you drove, we arrived late."

"That's because we left late. That's not my fault."

"We left late last time because you couldn't decide on what shoes to wear, and we ended up going the wrong way three times. Trust me. I should drive."

I can't sleep.

Snow White's POV:

As soon as she lets go of my arm, I bolt. I can't leave the castle. The Queen will have had all the entrances locked and guarded. She probably expected me to run.

Instead, I run to my bedroom. The lock's on the outside of the room, so the most I can do is close the door and hope that she doesn't come in, but I don't think she will. She won't want to spend any time with me. She never does. She always tells me what I need to know and then leaves me to do chores or talk to the Prince (my fiancé) or go to the orchard or… I hold back a tear.

The orchard. I'll never be able to go there again. It was the only place where I felt free. Even though the Queen knew when I was there. It was the only time when I wasn't being watched every second, but now she's gone and done… this. I can't go there again.

It's a dreadful thought. I try to put my mind from it to prevent crying. Instead, I think of Draco and hope that I can see him again. I doubt it. If she won't let me go on the one regular outing that I had, then there's no way that I'll ever see him again, at least not while I'm letting her rule over me.

I keep thinking of Draco because he makes me happy, but he just makes me think of the orchard again, and that brings down my spirits.

I lean back in my bed and try to think happy thoughts. I'll get to write to Draco soon. He said that he has a special mail service and that I can write to him as soon as he writes to me. That doesn't sound too bad. I just hope that he can write to me soon.

I try to also think of the animals, the deer and birds and squirrels and rabbits. They're one of the few things in this world that always make me happier. Luckily, I'm occasionally allowed to roam the grounds of the castle when I have free time, so I get to see them fairly often.

I think about the Prince, but he doesn't make me happy like he used to. If Draco and I end up actually falling in love, which seems like a strong possibility at the moment, then there's no way that I can marry the Prince. He's nice and sweet and funny, but it just won't feel right. On the other hand, I can't suddenly end our engagement. He'll be really upset.

There is an abrupt knock at the bedroom door, startling me so much that I sit up immediately. "Who is it?" I ask in the politest way possible, even though I know exactly who it is-the Queen.

"It's me." The way she says this is the exact opposite of the way I just spoke. Even though I can't see her, I know that her words are teeming with disgust and utter, unadulterated loathing. I can tell that she doesn't want to talk to me, but it must be urgent if came all the way up here.

"What is it?" Again, I try to sound pleasant and friendly, no matter how much I want to get away from her.

"I've just cancelled your meeting with the Prince tomorrow, so you'll have to wait until his next scheduled visit, which isn't for three more weeks." She thinks that this is a punishment for me, but I'm honestly quite relieved. "Also, it's chore time. The ballroom floor needs to be scrubbed, and the floor in the dining room needs to be waxed. Also, the dining room table needs to be dusted. One more thing. Take the best vase from the cabinet, the black one with the inside painted blood red, wash it, and pick a few flowers to go inside. Nothing bright… or pink. White, very light blue, or dark purple should be sufficient."

I have no choice but to obey the Queen's orders, but it seems suspicious. Pick flowers for her? She's never asked me to do any chores that involve decoration, and she hardly ever lets me in the dining room because she doesn't trust me around her expensive china. "Might I ask what this is for, madam?" I tentatively say, scared that she'll be harsh to me for being curious.

Surprisingly, she doesn't yell or get angrier. She pauses for a second before reluctantly saying, "I have a date." I silently gasp and put my hands over my mouth to stop myself from having an audible reaction. I can't believe that the Queen, the meanest, harshest, potentially scariest person alive, is going on a date with someone. She speaks again. "_NOW GET TO WORK!_" I hear her heels clank against the floor as she marches away, the sound fading into the distance.

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**Check out my other stories if you'd like! Also, let me know if you like this story and if there's something that I should change.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it :D**


	5. Preparation

Snow White's POV:

The Queen. She's the most sinister, demonic, cunning person that I've ever met or even heard of… and she has a date.

Draco's POV:

We finally arrive at my aunt Bellatrix's house. I just call her Bellatrix, but my mother wants me to call her Aunt Bellatrix. Bellatrix herself wants me to call her Auntie Bella, but that'll never happen.

I told Snow that this was for Christmas, which it is, but that's not completely true. We're also discussing Death Eater business.

Over the summer, I was asked by my father and You-Know-Who to become a Death Eater. I didn't particularly want to, but I couldn't say no, obviously. Who knows what You-Know-Who would do to me if I didn't want to join?

He also asked me to do something for him. He wants me to…_kill_…Dumbledore. I don't know how I'll do it, but I can't turn back now. I've already tried giving Dumbledore poisoned mead and a cursed necklace, but those didn't work. The necklace cursed Katie Bell by accident, and the mead hasn't gotten anywhere. Right now it's gathering dust in Professor Slughorn's office.

I think Potter's figured out that I'm a Death Eater now, but thankfully no one else believes him, especially not Granger or that idiot Weasley because once Granger believes him, then I'm doomed. The teachers trust her so much that they would find a way to prove its true after she says it, but right now, only Potter and a few of my closest friends know, besides the other Death Eaters, of course.

I think of Snow again. I'm already connoting down the days until I go back to school. It's obviously a little strange for me to actually _want_ to go back, but that's the only time that I can write to her.

I shake my mind from it. I talked to her for a half hour, an hour at the most. I can see us potentially being in love in the_ future_, but right now, she's a new friend, and that's all. I can't be in love with a person in that short amount of time, so I need to stop acting like it. Maybe it'll be like that someday, but certainly not now.

Bellatrix is crazy. It's not necessarily good or bad. It's just how she is. Her husband Rodolphus, thankfully, is more normal, although I don't know how you can use the word _normal_ to describe a loyal Death Eater married to someone as insane as my aunt.

Anyway, we walk in and almost immediately have to sit down for a homemade dinner (badly) cooked by Bellatrix. She and her husband have several house elves that are much more talented at cooking, but she insists on making it herself for the first night that we're here when we come here for Christmas every winter.

The meal consists of burnt chicken, should-be-cooked vegetables, and frozen fruit. Thankfully, she's figured out years ago that she can't cook, but she tries anyway, just for a laugh. She still has the house elves make dessert, though. We have a few house elves back at Malfoy Manor, but none of them can make cherry-chocolate pie as well as hers. It's the best part about coming here. I count down for it every winter. It makes the rest of the meal almost tolerable when I have something to look forward to.

Snow White's POV:

I finally finish scrubbing the ballroom floor. It's the largest room in the house, so it takes extra time. I also just finished waxing the floor in the dining room. The Queen's warned me several times to be careful around her delicate china.

The china is already set on the table, so I carefully pick each plate up one at a time to dust the table underneath. I smile.

It may seem weird that I'm smiling at a time like this, but think about it. The Queen has a date. Love does weird things to people. Maybe it'll actually make her nicer. I shake my head. It wouldn't happen. Nothing-or no one-can possibly change the wrath of the Queen. I wonder if the date is tonight, tomorrow, or sometime after that. It can't be that far in the future. The flowers would wilt by then. on the other hand, her idea of pretty decorations just might be dead flowers. The vase I'm using _is_ black, after all.

I quickly finish dusting the table and leave. The Queen is watching me work, as usual. She smiles, and I can tell that she is happy with me finishing my work. The less time I spend around her fragile china, the happier she is. The good news is that she trusts me to be in there more than her servants. That's a little progress, at least.

I grab an empty basket and head outside. There are two gardens. There's one that belongs to the Queen; no one can touch anything without being immediately fired and possibly arrested. The other one belongs to whoever wants to look at flowers or take care of them. I pick three white flowers and three dark purple ones and carefully place them in the basket. This is exactly what she told me to pick, but knowing her, she'll probably find something wrong with it. I sigh and head back inside.

I find the vase that she told me to get and very, _very_ carefully pick it up. I fill it halfway with water and place it in the middle of the dining room table with the basket of flowers still on my arm. I take out the flowers and put them in the vase, arranging them with alternating colors to look as pretty as possible. The Queen may not appreciate beauty in things like these, but I do, and I want it to look pretty.

The next few days go slowly. I do chores, stay out of the dining room, and do almost nothing else.

Christmas is in two days. I have no friends other than the Prince and Draco, but neither have written to me lately since I first saw Draco.

I'm mopping the floor of the entryway. This is probably my most common chore because nearly everyone who enters brings in dirt on their shoes, causing this floor to need a lot of sweeping and mopping. People often walk in while I'm mopping, but I've gotten used to it, so I just wait for them to leave and mop over where they step.

Then a man enters and starts talking to the guard. I don't pay attention to them.

"I'm here to see the queen," I hear the man say. I hear this, but it doesn't get my attention.

"What's your name?" the guard asks.

"Humbert." I've heard that name before, but I don't know where. I turn my head to hear them better.

"She's waiting for you in the dining room. Right this way, follow me." They walk off. A man came to see the queen in the dining room?

It's time for her date.

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**Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I've been busy with preparing for Christmas. I meant to have written the Christmas chapter by Christmas Day, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen, so I'm sorry about that. I'll try to have the next chapter (the Christmas chapter) posted in about a week or two.**

**Happy holidays, everyone!**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! :D**


	6. A Date with the Queen & Christmas

**This chapter is two short chapters put together. It's also the Christmas chapter, but I'm sorry that I didn't get it written until after Christmas. Enjoy!**

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**A Date with the Queen:**

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Snow White's POV:

I finish mopping as quickly as I can and tiptoe to the dining room. The door is closed, so I put my ear against the keyhole. I can hear every word now. It's slightly muffled, but I can still hear what they're saying.

Humbert, the Queen's date, is the first to speak. "What did you call me here for, your majesty?"

He's calling her "your majesty," and he's acting like he doesn't know what's going on. Maybe it's not the date after all.

"Well," the Queen starts, "I told Snow that it was a date to distract her from what I needed you for, but I have absolutely no interest in creating a romantic relationship with anyone at the moment… or ever, for that matter."

"So what did you need me for?" Humbert replies.

"Have you seen my magic mirror?"

"Is it missing?"

"No. I just wanted to know if you know about it," she says.

"I've heard of it but never actually seen it."

"It knows everything and tells me the truth no matter what, and there seems to be a dilemma."

"Is it broken?" he asks. He sounds slightly confused.

"No. On the contrary, it is too honest."

"Did you want me to discard of it? I am your personal huntsman, after all," Humbert says. Now I know why I recognized his name. He's her huntsman. She always sends him out to get fresh meat for the chefs to cook for her.

"Not at all," the Queen replies. "If I wanted to get rid of it, I would have done so myself."

"What can I do for you, your majesty?"

"As a reassurance to myself, every few days or so, I ask the mirror who the fairest in the land is."

"It is certainly you, your majesty," Humbert says. All of the Queen's servants act like that to get on her good side.

"That's just the problem," she says. "It has always said that it was me, but last week, I asked it who the fairest in the land was, and it didn't say me."

"Who did it say?"

"Snow White."

I silently gasp to myself. First of all, however malicious she is, the Queen is beautiful. I don't know how anyone, let alone someone like me, be more beautiful than her. Second of all, although the mirror is always honest, I don't know how it can tell her that she is not the most beautiful, knowing her wrath. If I were the mirror, I would be to scared to say anyone but her.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Humbert asks the Queen.

"I don't want this to happen immediately. I will tell you exactly when I want it to happen. I want you to hunt down Snow White and kill her."

This time, I gasp out loud and immediately regret it. I hear the Queen walking toward the door. I scoot to the side and hide behind a nearby table as fast as I can.

The door opens, and the Queen steps out and looks to either side. I don't think she sees me, but it's hard to tell where she's looking. Without saying anything, she turns back around to face Humbert, who is now in the doorway.

"Thank you for coming Humbert. I will let you know when I need to speak to you next."

"Anytime, your majesty," he says as he bows to her.

"Guards!" says the Queen. "You may now escort Humbert out."

"Yes, your majesty," says the two guards by the door as they bow to her.

As soon as everyone looks away, I stand up and run to my room.

* * *

The next two days pass slowly. I can't wait until Christmas.

I'm not expecting any presents, except maybe one from the Prince, but it's one of the two days a year, the other being my birthday, that I have no chores. To make up for it, however, the Queen is giving me more chores than ever. I just want some rest.

* * *

**Christmas:**

Draco's POV:

It's Christmas time. The last few days have passed more slowly than I could have ever imagined. All I've done is hide from my relatives (it's a real pain to talk to them when I want to be with friends) and work on my essays for school.

Finally it's Christmas. It's not much better except for the fact that we have a big, fancy meal and open presents, but all my presents are pretty lame.

Shortly before the big Christmas supper, all of us (me, Mum, Dad, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus) gathered around a large, lavishly decorated tree. The house elves had already sorted the presents into piles for each person, but there are only a few presents per person.

Being the youngest, I get to open all of mine first. I open the present from my mum first. It's new school robes. The ones I have are an inch too short. Then I open the one from my dad. It's hair gel. He doesn't use any for his hair, but he understands that I use it a lot. The third present I open is from Rodolphus. It's socks. Meh. I save Bellatrix's for last. Her presents are always more interesting than anyone else's. I tear off the wrapping paper to reveal a brown box. I open it. It's a family heirloom. It's a gold pin about the size of a galleon. There is a large green gem in the middle with an _M_ inscribed in it.

"Thank you," I say to everyone halfheartedly.

I don't pay much attention to everyone else as they open their presents. This year, I'm giving my mum a new hair clip that I got from a shop in Diagon Alley over the summer.

"Oh, thank you!" she says when she opens it. She takes the flower clip that she's already wearing out of her hair and puts in the new one, which is green with swirls. "I won't wear this old one anymore. I've had it for at least a few years. I'll throw it away when I get up, but I love the new one! Thank you very much!" She comes over to me and gives me a big hug, and I feel my cheek being pressed against her forehead.

Suddenly I have an idea.

"I can get rid of your old hair clip for you," I tell her.

"Oh, sure! That's so sweet." She hands me the clip, and I put it in my pocket.

The rest of the night is a blur due to my lack of interest. The meal is absolutely fantastic. There was turkey, ham, sausage, mashed potatoes, green beans, roasted carrots, and pudding, all handmade by the house elves.

The flower hair clip is still in my pocket. I plan to send it to Snow. I want to give something to someone that I actually want to spend time with, even if I can't see her in person.

Snow White's POV:

It's finally Christmas. I've been resting all day. It's such a wonderful feeling. As I lay in my bed, a servant knocks at the door.

"Come in!" I say.

"A package has arrived for you," he says after he enters, holding a small, brown box about the size of my fist.

"Thank you." I get up and take it from his hand. "Merry Christmas!" I say to him.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," he says as he leaves.

I open the package. There's a short note inside.

_Merry Christmas, my love._

_Fill this with whatever your heart desires._

_Love,_

_The Prince_

Underneath the note is a heart locket. Nothing is inside. As the note suggests, he wants me to put something in it. It's a very sweet gift, but I don't actually want to wear it. I'll put it on when he visits, but that's the only time.

I suddenly get very hungry. I get up to get a snack. I already ate supper, but it's much later now.

As I stand by the refrigerator in the kitchen, I see something coming toward the window. It looks like a bird, but it's coming straight toward the window. As it gets even closer, I realize that it's an owl. It lands on the windowsill outside, and it blocks my view of the garden. All the plants in the garden are dead from the sudden snowfall that came a few days ago.

The owl rubs its head against the window as if it wants me to open it. I see that it's holding a small box in its claws, about the same size as the box from the Prince.

I look around to make sure no one is nearby and open the window. The owl hands me the box. On the top, it says "To Snow, from Draco." Now I remember him telling me about his special way of delivering letters and packages. I understand why he didn't actually tell me that he sends owls with packages. I wouldn't have believed him if he had.

"Don't leave until I'm ready," I tell the bird. I almost expect it to talk back, but thankfully, it doesn't. It _does_ seem to understand me, though. It nods its head and stays on the windowsill.

Inside the box, there is a note.

_Dear Snow,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything new for Christmas. This used to be my mother's, but she got a new one and doesn't want this one anymore. I hope you like it._

_Also, I know that I said I wouldn't write to you until school started again, but I just had to wish you a merry Christmas._

_Merry Christmas!_

_Yours truly,_

_Draco Malfoy_

Underneath the letter was a very lovely hair clip with a few flowers on it. I love it! I quickly find a pen and paper nearby to write back to him.

_Dear Draco,_

_The hair clip is very lovely! I don't care if it was your mother's or if it's new. I love it! I will wear it every day! Thank you very much._

_I'm sorry I don't have anything to give you for Christmas._

_This package from you just made my day a hundred times better. It was one of the only presents I got for Christmas._

_Merry Christmas to you too!_

_Sincerely,_

_Snow White_

I hand the letter to the owl and say, "Please deliver this to Draco. Thank you! Merry Christmas!" It flies off into the distance, and I close the window with a smile on my face. This was a very merry Christmas indeed.

* * *

**I'll try to get the next chapter posted in a week or two.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	7. Letters

Snow White's POV:

Three days after Christmas, the owl lands at the windowsill outside my bedroom. I eagerly open the letter and read it to myself.

_Dear Snow,_

_I'm so glad you liked the hair clip! It's okay that you didn't get me anything. We didn't exactly plan it in advance._

_I just got back from my aunt's and uncle's house yesterday. It was a pretty boring stay. The food was good, though. She had her servants make it almost every day. I got a pair of socks, some hair gel, a new outfit, and a family heirloom._

_What about you? How was your Christmas?_

_Even though I don't know you that well, I wish I could be with you to get to know you better. My family's pretty boring._

_I'm going back to school in a few days, but I'll still be able to send letters to you in the exact same way, so don't worry about that. It might take a little longer to get them to you, but we'll still be able to communicate._

_Yours truly,_

_Draco Malfoy_

I'm flattered that he sent one back but also alarmed at how many presents he got and that he had several family members to spend Christmas with. I shouldn't be surprised at that, but I _am_ a bit surprised that he acted like it was no big deal that he got presents and has a supportive family.

I write him back as soon as I can. I don't want to sound like I'm begging for sympathy by complaining about how few presents I got, but since he asked about it, I decide to tell him what I got anyway.

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you for writing to me! I love getting these letters from you. I would like to get to know you better through sending letters and perhaps meeting you in person again sometime. Maybe we can arrange something after you get out of school in the summer._

_I have something to tell you. I'm engaged to a prince from a nearby kingdom. It was set up by his parents, and I don't really want to do it, so I hope that I don't have to._

_The Prince gave me a locket necklace, but I won't be wearing it much. I got the hair clip from you, of course, and the Queen, my guardian, gave me a day without chores, which only happens twice a year-Christmas and my birthday._

_I had a really great Christmas by resting all day, and the present from you made the day so much better. Thank you for that._

_I have some problems with my relationship with the Queen, but I don't want to bother you by talking about it, although I will say that I will run away fairly soon. If I find out where I'm going, I'll let you know as soon as possible so you know where to send letters._

_Anyway, thanks again for the letters and the hair clip._

_Sincerely,_

_Snow White_

I reread it multiple times before deciding that it sounded good. I roll it into a scroll shape and tie it with a piece of string before giving it to the bird, who looks like he wants to get out as soon as possible.

Two more days later, as I'm sweeping one of the many hallways of the castle, the owl flies through an open window in a nearby room and lands on the floor next to me.

"Good think I'm sweeping right now," I say to the bird, even though he can't hear me (it's a _bird_, for crying out loud). "You'll probably leave marks on the floor, so it's a good thing that I'm hear to clean them up."

I take the envelope from his beak.

_Dear Snow,_

_It's slightly disappointing that you're engaged to someone else, but I understand. I can see how a pretty girl like yourself would be taken quickly by any guy, even a prince._

_Also, I have a quick question to ask. If your guardian is a queen, then does that mean that you're a princess?_

_I'm sorry to hear about you and the Queen. I'm also sorry to hear that you have to run away. Please explain everything to me. I want to hear what you're going through, and I want the best for you. I'm always here to listen._

_Also, couldn't you stay with the Prince? He is your fiancé, after all._

_Yours truly,_

_Draco Malfoy_

I tell the owl, "Go up to my bedroom where you were last time, and I'll be right up in a minute to write back to him." He nods, which seems impossible that he understood me, and flies out the window through which he came and hopefully goes to my bedroom. Draco told me to talk to the bird, so hopefully that means that he understands what I'm saying.

I quickly sweep the floor and put the broom back in the supplies closet. I run up to my bedroom, and with probably a lot of luck, I see the bird waiting for me outside the window. I open it, and he flies in and lands on my pillow.

"I'm going to quickly write a letter, so just wait there, okay?" I say. He nods his head again.

I walk over to the door and close it so that no one in the castle walking by might notice the bird and be confused.

_Dear Draco,_

_Since you want to know, I'll tell you._

_You might not believe it, but the Queen has a magic mirror. It seems impossible, but it's true. I've never seen it before in my life. I haven't even heard about what it does until a few days ago when I over heard the Queen's plans with Humbert, her private huntsman._

_Apparently this mirror talks to her and can only tell the complete, honest truth. She said that every few days, she asks the mirror, "Who is the fairest in the land?" and it always says that she is the fairest, but the last time she asked it, it said that I was and that it wasn't her. Because of this, she ordered her private huntsman to hunt me down and kill me when the time is right, but I don't know when that time will be, so I will have to find a place to run away to._

_Staying with the Prince is a good idea except for the fact that I don't know where he lives. I've never actually visited him. He always comes to me, and I won't see him for a few more weeks, so it might be too late by then._

_I appreciate your flattery of my looks and how surprisingly well you took the news of my engagement._

_Yes, I am a princess, but the Queen has never liked me. I'm always doing chores, and she doesn't treat me like a princess. I don't mind it too much. It's better than being a spoiled brat, that's for sure._

_I really appreciate that you're willing to listen. I don't want to bore anyone with seemingly miserable stories, but it is nice to be listened to once in a while._

_Thanks again for writing to me. Is there anything you think I should do?_

_Sincerely,_

_Snow White_

Just like the last one, I use a string to tie it up like a scroll. The bird holds it with its claws and flies out the window. "Thank you!" I yell to the bird, even though it probably doesn't hear me. As I close the window, I watch it fly into the distance, carrying my message to the one person I want to talk to the most.

* * *

The next day is New Year's Eve. No letters come today, but I _do_ have something to look forward to. Every New Year's Eve at midnight, I can see a fireworks show from my bedroom window. It's spectacular to look at and always makes me happy.

Three hours to go.

Unfortunately, the Queen knows that I stay up late on this day every year, so she assigns chores for me to do while I wait.

I mop all the hallways.

One and a half hours left.

I clean the walls of the kitchen.

Twenty minutes.

I start to go up to my room to wait for the fireworks to start, but unfortunately, the Queen stops me in the hallway.

"Snow, you still have one more chore left. You have to change all the lightbulbs in the front hallway." The Queen walks briskly away after saying that.

I need to get this done quickly so that I can have time to see the fireworks.

I grab a box of lightbulbs from a shelf in the storage closet and run to the front entrance, trying not to trip. As soon as I get there, I put down the box and run back to get a stepladder.

I change the bulbs as quickly as humanly possible, but it's hard because the entrance hallway is so big and because there are so many bulbs to replace.

As soon as I finish, I put the box of bulbs and the stepladder back in the closet as fast as humanly possible. I run to my room faster than I think I've ever run in my life.

I check the clock in my room. I have about thirty seconds. I open the window to see better, and I lean on my elbows against the windowsill.

The fireworks start almost immediately after I lean down. They light up the night sky with brilliant colors and radiant designs.

As I lean against the windowsill, I can't help but smile and hope that my life turns out like those fireworks-happy and worry-free.

* * *

**If you've read my story "A Trip to the Unknown," the natural disasters that were supposed to happen in December 2013 didn't happen.**

**I realize that Draco is a little out of character in this story, so as the story goes on, I'll try as hard as I can to make him as canon as possible.**

**I'm less than a minute away from 2014 where I am right now.**

**I'll try to post the next chapter in about a week or two. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it :)**

**Happy New Year! Enjoy 2014 and make the most of it! :D**


	8. Realizations

Draco's POV:

I spend the next hour staring at Snow's letter. When I have to put it down, I spend days thinking about it before I can write back. This usually happens, but I still can't believe what I read.

Snow's guardian has a magic, talking mirror.

A magic mirror.

Magic.

Snow knows about magic.

Snow might even _be_ magic!

I have no idea what's going to happen.

All I know is that she'll have to run away soon because of magic.

Finally, after four days of boring time with my parents, aunt, and uncle, we leave to go back to the Malfoy Manor.

In the car, my parents' bickering about how to get home doesn't even bother me. I just think about the magic mirror.

By the time we get back home, I know exactly what to say in my next letter. I take out a piece of parchment and a quill. I'm about to start writing when my parents call me.

"Draco, we need to talk to you!" my mom calls. I cringe at her using my first name. With the exception of Snow and a few good friends, no one should call me by it. It just doesn't feel right.

"Coming, Mother!" I reply. I leave the blank page on the desk in my bedroom and reluctantly run downstairs.

I go in the dining room where my parents are standing next to each other.

"So, what's up?" I ask as calmly as possible. I just hope that I'm not in trouble.

"We need to talk about your task," my father says. "School, starts tomorrow. Do you have any more plans for making sure that it's completed?"

He's talking about how You-Know-Who wants me to kill Dumbledore. As much as I don't like that old hag, it's still something that I want to avoid. If I don't do what was asked of me, You-Know-Who would kill me without a doubt. On the other hand, I don't know if I could live with myself knowing what I'd have done.

"Yes," I tell my father. "I have multiple plans for completing the task, and I am working on a way to get Death Eaters into the castle. It should be ready by the end of the year."

"Very good," he replies. "Don't let us down."

"Yes, Father."

"That is all. You are dismissed."

I walk out of there standing tall, and as soon as they can't see me, I sprint back to my room to write the letter.

I sit down at my desk and pick up the quill, now knowing exactly what to tell her.

_Dear Snow,_

_I am very sorry to hear of what the Queen has planned, and I hope that it doesn't happen under any circumstances._

_Although I am not under the guardianship of someone who wants to kill me, I can relate to what's going on in your life._

_Over the past summer, I have been assigned a task by the leader of a "terrorist" group, for lack of a better word. The only reason that I'm in the group is because my father is very loyal. My mother and I support him. Even though I don't agree with the people he associates with, my father is a good man._

_Anyway, the task that I have to do is something that I don't want to do at all, but if I don't do it, the leader will kill me._

_Your situation sounds worse, but I just wanted you to know that you're not alone in being scared of someone and not sure what to do._

_Moving onward, I noticed that you said that the Queen has a magic mirror. Is she magic or does she just own a magic item? Are you magic?_

_I do not doubt that this magic mirror is in fact real and magic. I'm just wondering whether you're magic or not._

_Yours truly,_

_Draco Malfoy_

I seal the letter in an envelope and give it to my bird.

"Bring it to Snow White in the castle, the same place as last time," I say as I put the letter in his beak. I then open my window, and he flies into the distance.

The next day, shortly before we leave for King's Cross to go back to school, I hear a tapping coming from behind me as I finish packing my trunk. I turn around, and the owl is at the window with a reply from Snow.

I walk to the window and open it. He drops the letter from his beak to my hand.

"Okay, into the cage now," I say to him. He flies into the cage on my bed, and I close the door as he lands inside. I put the letter in my pocket.

"Draco, come on! We're going to be late!" my mother yells to me.

"I'll be there in a moment!" I shout back as I close my trunk.

I walk downstairs with my things and get in the car to go to the station.

I sit in the back of the car. It's a short car ride, but I still have enough time to read the letter.

I pull it out of my pocket. The piece of paper is folded in thirds with my name written neatly on one side. Man, I'll never get tired of her perfect handwriting. Mine probably looks like a pig wrote it compared to hers. I just hope she doesn't judge people by the way they write. If she did, I'd be screwed. I start reading.

_Dear Draco,_

_I'm sorry to hear about the situation. Hopefully we can get through both of our predicaments together._

_Yes, the Queen is magic, but I am not. She sometimes works on potions and spells in her private study. I'm not allowed in there, but I've heard her from outside the door. Thankfully, she hasn't caught me yet, but I still don't do it too often for fear that it might happen some day._

_I don't know what else to say here. Not much is going on with me. It's the same thing every day, mostly chores with some studying in between. I wish I had more time to study. It's so interesting._

_Sincerely,_

_Snow White_

I start to think about what she said. I'm going back now, and I hate it there, but Snow would probably give anything to go to school, even if it's just a muggle school. I've never been a fan of making New Years resolutions, but I guess that I can try to appreciate learning as much as she does.

A realization hits me. She's a muggle. I have a crush on a _muggle_. It's insane, really. Before I met her, I would not have even had a second glance on anyone but a pureblood, but a muggle? I silently laugh to myself. How strange everything seems when your world gets turned upside down by someone, even if I'm not actually "in love" with her or dating her… yet.

I fold up the letter and put it back in my pocket, thinking about everything that she said in that letter, mostly the part about magic.

* * *

**I realize that Draco's personality isn't like it is in the books, but I won't change it because I want the story to stay consistent.**

**Thanks for reading! I'll try to get the next chapter posted in a week or two. I hope you liked it! :)**


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